ITEM
The Minnesota Library Association is a 130+ year-old nonprofit professional association serving more than 600 members across Minnesota's public, academic, school, and special libraries through advocacy, professional development, and networking.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1891
- HeadquartersSavage, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What ITEM does
The Minnesota Library Association (MLA) is a nonprofit professional association founded on December 29, 1891, headquartered at 8615 Eagle Creek Circle, Savage, MN. MLA serves more than 600 members across Minnesota, including library staff from public, academic, school, special, multitype, and institutional libraries, as well as library trustees, Friends of the library, and corporate supporters. Its core mission is advocacy, professional development, and networking for the state's library community, organized through three divisions (ARLD, ITEM, PLD), six sections (CYP, MILE, MLTA, RASS, TSS), and six round tables (DORT, IRT, LGBTQIA+RT, RART, SRLRT, SRT), supported by seven committees.
MLA operates three principal revenue streams: individual and institutional membership dues ($30–$345 depending on salary or organizational budget tier), conference registration fees ($250–$500 for full attendance), and career center job posting fees ($100 per posting for non-members, free for members). The organization is governed by an elected volunteer Board of Directors with day-to-day infrastructure outsourced to a professional management company, and an Executive Director (Tammy Schoenberg). MLA is a chapter of the American Library Association and has formal relationships with State Library Services (Minnesota Department of Education), Minitex, the Minnesota Library Foundation, ACRL/ARLD, and ITEM (joined as a division in 2022).
The association's underlying technology stack is standard association-management-software (YourMembership platform) rather than proprietary technology; no APIs, AI features, or developer-facing integrations are disclosed. Marketing and member engagement operate through organic social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Pinterest, X, Flickr), a monthly Roundup newsletter, the MLA website, and recurring in-person and virtual events including the annual conference, MILE leadership retreat, ARLD Day, and ITEM Summer Recharge. MLA's competitive position is anchored in its 130+ year brand, its chapter status with ALA, and its multi-subunit organizational complexity that competitors would struggle to replicate quickly.
ITEM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ITEM
- Legal name
- Minnesota Library Association
- Website
- https://mnlibraryassociation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1891
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Minnesota Library Association is a 130+ year-old nonprofit professional association serving more than 600 members across Minnesota's public, academic, school, and special libraries through advocacy, professional development, and networking.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ITEM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Association Services
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO), Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)
Keywords
Where ITEM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Savage
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ITEM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Primary funding source. Individual membership dues range from $30-$230 based on salary tier. Institutional membership dues range from $30-$345 based on organizational budget. Membership includes division affiliation and access to all sections and round tables at no additional cost.
- Conference Registration Fees: Revenue from annual MLA conference registrations. Members receive discounted rates compared to non-members. Full conference 2-day registration ranges from $250-$350 for members, $375-$500 for non-members depending on early-bird timing.
- Career Center Job Postings: Job posting fees: Free for members, $100 for non-members. Members can post jobs for free and access the member directory and job listings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Student, Trustee, Retired membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual membership by salary tier |
| Subscription | Annual | Friend & Supporter |
| Subscription | Annual | Affiliate membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Institutional membership by budget tier |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Conference Full Registration |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Career Center Job Postings |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels12 records
ITEM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ITEM is a professional division of the Minnesota Library Association (MLA) that supports school library media specialists, technology coordinators, and technology integrationists across Minnesota. It delivers member benefits including an annual "ITEM Summer Recharge" professional development event, seven regional chapters for localized networking, leadership opportunities, and advocacy on behalf of the school library and educational technology profession. Membership in ITEM is available free of charge to current MLA members.
Product overview
ITEM (Information & Technology Educators of Minnesota) is a professional membership organization and division of the Minnesota Library Association that provides leadership and service by promoting professional growth, facilitating collaboration among its members, establishing standards, and advocating for 21st century learners. The organization operates through a membership services core offering, supplemented by annual events like the ITEM Summer Recharge professional development program, and seven regional chapters that provide localized networking and support across Minnesota. ITEM focuses on serving school library media specialists, technology coordinators, technology integrationists, and educators interested in information and technology applications to learning.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Academic and Research Libraries Division (ARLD): Forum for and advocate of academic and research librarians and library personnel.
- Information & Technology Educators of Minnesota (ITEM)
- Public Libraries Division (PLD)
- Children and Young People's Section (CYP)
- MLA Institute for Leadership Excellence (MILE)
- Minnesota Libraries Trustees and Advocates (MLTA)
- Reference and Adult Services Section (RASS)
- Technical Services Section (TSS)
- Diversity and Outreach Round Table (DORT)
- Instruction Round Table (IRT)
- LGBTQIA+ Round Table
- Reader's Advisory Round Table (RART)
- Small and Rural Libraries Round Table (SRLRT)
- Student Round Table (SRT)
Products and services
- ITEM Membership
- ITEM Summer Recharge
- ITEM Regional Chapters
Companies that use ITEM
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ITEM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ITEM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Information & Technology Educators of Minnesota (ITEM)coreITEM joined the Minnesota Library Association as a new division in 2022. This allows both organizations to streamline legislative efforts and provide stronger membership support. ITEM serves school library media specialists, technology coordinators, and technology integrationists.
- American Library Association (ALA)coreMLA is a chapter of the American Library Association. MLA elects one Board member to act as Chapter Councilor to represent the interests of MLA to ALA and vice versa. Members of ACRL living in Minnesota are automatically members of ARLD, as ARLD is the Minnesota chapter of ACRL.
- MinitexminorMinitex is an information and resource sharing program of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the University of Minnesota Libraries. They serve as an ex-officio member on the Legislative Committee and provide professional development resources.
- State Library Services (Minnesota Department of Education)minorState Library Services is a division of the Minnesota Department of Education that partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence. They serve as ex-officio members on the MLA Legislative Committee.
- Minnesota Library FoundationminorTax-deductible donations may be made through the nonprofit Minnesota Library Foundation. The Foundation also supports the MLA through silent auctions at conferences.
- Minnesota Historical SocietyminorThe Minnesota Historical Society archives MLA's association records.
- Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators (CRPLSA)minorCRPLSA coordinates efforts to advocate for libraries. Representatives serve on the MLA Legislative Committee.
- Multi-county/Multi-type Library Cooperatives (MCMT)minorMCMT cooperatives provide links between academic, public, school, and special libraries. Representatives serve on the MLA Legislative Committee.
- Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)minorARLD is the Minnesota chapter of ACRL. Members of ACRL who live in Minnesota are automatically members of ARLD.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ITEM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Special Libraries Association (SLA): International professional association for special librarians serving corporate, government, and academic special libraries. While not state-scoped, it competes with MLA for the same library-professional membership dollars and offers overlapping continuing education and advocacy.
- American Library Association (ALA): The national umbrella association for U.S. libraries and library professionals. ALA is the parent body of which MLA is a chapter, providing comparable membership, advocacy, conference, and publishing services but at national scale with overlapping value proposition.
Emerging players
- Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC): ALA division focused on children's library services, directly comparable to MLA's Children and Young People's Section (CYP). Overlaps in audience (youth-services librarians) and offering (continuing education, awards, publications).
Direct peers
- Texas Library Association (TLA): Texas's statewide professional association for library workers with tiered membership, a major annual conference, divisions, and legislative advocacy. Same operating model as MLA, scaled to Texas's larger library workforce.
- Ohio Library Council: Ohio's statewide library association providing membership, advocacy, and professional development services to library staff and trustees. Direct functional peer to MLA, with a comparable dues-plus-conference-plus-lobbying operating model.
- Illinois Library Association (ILA): Illinois's statewide library professional association offering a near-identical value proposition to MLA: tiered individual/institutional memberships, annual conference, advocacy, and division structure for public, academic, school, and special librarians.
- California Library Association (CLA): Statewide professional association for California library workers with membership, conference, advocacy, and division offerings. Highly comparable operating model and member structure to MLA, scaled to a much larger state.
- New York Library Association (NYLA): New York state's professional library association, the most direct functional peer to MLA: state-scoped membership organization offering dues, annual conferences, divisions, advocacy, and continuing education to library professionals in a single state.
- Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA): Pennsylvania's statewide library association offering membership, annual conference, advocacy, and continuing education to library professionals and trustees. Operates the same member-based professional association model as MLA.
Others
- Information & Technology Educators of Minnesota (ITEM): Now a division within MLA rather than an independent entity, ITEM serves school library media specialists and technology educators. Listed as an ecosystem participant to show the absorbed entity; not an independent external peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ITEM social profiles
Digital presenceITEM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ITEM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ITEM subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
ITEM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ITEM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ITEM
What does ITEM do?
ITEM is a professional division of the Minnesota Library Association (MLA) that supports school library media specialists, technology coordinators, and technology integrationists across Minnesota. It delivers member benefits including an annual "ITEM Summer Recharge" professional development event, seven regional chapters for localized networking, leadership opportunities, and advocacy on behalf of the school library and educational technology profession. Membership in ITEM is available free of charge to current MLA members.
Is ITEM a public or private company?
ITEM is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ITEM founded?
ITEM was founded in 1891. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ITEM based?
ITEM is headquartered in Savage, United States, in the North America region.
How does ITEM make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are conference Registration Fees and career Center Job Postings.
Who are ITEM's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Special Libraries Association (SLA) and American Library Association (ALA). Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Texas Library Association (TLA), Ohio Library Council, Illinois Library Association (ILA), California Library Association (CLA), New York Library Association (NYLA) and Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA). Information & Technology Educators of Minnesota (ITEM) is listed as an others.
Does ITEM have an API?
No public API is recorded for ITEM.
What industry is ITEM in?
ITEM's product category is Professional Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAF, Libraries, Archives & Special Collections, with a secondary code of BPAIACAO, Public Libraries & Information Services. Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.